Honda Accord Seats 2008+

jhinsc · August 2009

Could it be that your back already had problems and the Accord's seats just made it more apparent? I'm not doubting your back pain or problems, but a car's seat can't be the cause of it. Typically degenerative disk disease, injury or combination thereof exists. I hope you're able to get it taken care of.

I for one find my exl-v6 Accord's seat very comfortable and could sit all day in it on a long drive. I wish the front passenger seat has the same adjuestments and lumbar adjustment, but thankfully the Accord is my daily driver and I rarely sit on the passenger side.

dbdc · August 2009

Well, when my wife had some back issues a few years ago, she was told by her orthopedist that if you did a spinal MRI on people in their 50's (my age) 90% have some disk degeneration. Usually, however, its sub-clinical.

Perhaps thats something that car manufacturers should take into account in their seat design.

I am feeling better each day in my C30. I have lumbar on "full", on this car, but it covers a much larger vertical range than the Honda did.

In answer to the previous poster's comments about active headrests, yes Volvo was the first manufacturer to use them. However, innovative in safety as always, now they have something called the WHIPS. See this link (here at Edmunds):

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/safety/articles/46912/article.html

in the picture, you see that the entire seat moves in a rear impact, not just the head rest. Thus no need for the sensor plate mechanism that Honda so artlessy inserts in to all 2008-2009 seats, except Odyssey.

Again, seats are a personal matter, and I think everyone especially over 50, should find a way to drive a car or interest for a full hour or two before purchase.

cdn2 · August 2009

Are you serious? I am only 45 and very good physical shape working out 6 days a week. I truly think it has to do with height (I am 6'5) not back problems. My back feels better after about 30 minutes out of the car (or sitting in the passenger seat).
Again, I would've never bought the car if I would've known but it is primarily my wife's car. My F150 doesn't cause any pain at all.

jhinsc · August 2009

Actually I am very serious. I am an over 50 male, 5'10", 160lbs fit and healthy, but not immune to aches and pains. Your height is a factor. They are much more comfortable than Toyota Camry seats - Camry seats don't have enough thigh support, even at my average height. My other vehicle is an 07 Chev Avalanche LTZ but I don't drive it everyday. On long trips, the seats are not comfy at all.

dbdc · August 2009

Hilarious....I'm 6', and found Camry seats very comfy, but thats after 5 years of Prius seats - but the Accord killed me. Both Prius and Camry are very marshmallow like, they don't try to reshape your spine.

Now my C30 seat seems to hurt as well, and it didn't when I test drove it before I bought the now-sold Accord. I'm hoping this is still a reaction to my 2 months in the Accord, as noone seems to have had similar experiences with this seat.

Meanwhile, when I drive my Prius, all pain goes away. But I think part of it is that both seat and back sort of adapt after a couple of months, but with "aggressively ergonomic" seats it may take longer.

personatech · August 2009

In all fairness, let's remember why Honda has done this in the first place: all car manufacturers are mandated by our friend Uncle Sam to have active head restraint systems STANDARD in the near future (not sure what year, though). Camrys, Mazda6s, Altimas, etc. will ALL have to deal with this issue soon enough. Honda is just reaping the unfortunate flak of trying to be first to market with a mandated safety feature.

It may be possible to create a more comfortable solution to the problem, but given the mechanics of the situation - having to deal with forces of sudden deceleration while providing adequate support to the neck - Honda's solution is probably the least costly and most effective. Having a motorized solution would add significant cost. Having a more comfortable solution probably wouldn't be as effective. I suppose an alternative would be to have some kind of chin-strap contraption a la Clockwork Orange but somehow I think we'd be unhappy with that as well.

I will be curious to see how manufacturers renowned for their comfort (Mercedes, Jaguar, Cadillac, etc.) will address the problem and whether their solution antagonizes their clientele as much as Honda's has.

jodar96 · August 2009

I have a tough time imagining mass producing Honda is ahead of Mercedes, BMW, Volvo in safety department. The crappy lower back bulge has nothing to do with being first, middle, or last with head restraining system.

Joe

brentc25 · August 2009

I need to know how you did this, I can't quite figure it out. If you could post some photos or a video, that would be awesome, apparently, you're the only one I can find on the internet that is able to help with this problem.

billburnseh · August 2009

wow, I guess we are not the only ones. Our 08 Accord ex (4 cyl) w/35k miles on it has given both of use back pain on long rides (and we do a lot of long rides). Our 02 Accord ex-v6 never gave us a bit of trouble. Both driver and passenger seats give us trouble. I find that if I elevate the drivers seat it is somewhat less bothersome. The passenger seat seems to have little hope with it not having all the adjustments. My only other complaint with the car is it's size. Much prefer the smaller 02. Wonder what it is that causes so many of us discomfort. We just took a rental Mazda 6 on a tour of Oregon, 1968 miles over a week and a half and had no issues at all. Hope Honda fixes this issue. I really like Hondas but am leery about running into this issue again. Hard to tell about seats on a test drive...

rapp1 · August 2009

I then went out and got 96 corolla headrests at a junkyard. They don't tilt in.

rapp1 · August 2009

Stick a pen in the little hole that the headrest pole goes into which jams the headrest forward. This will push the lump down. You might need to go to a junkyard and get new headrests that don't push forward. I used a 96 Corrolla headrests. After that you're on your own. Try the seat that way or buy some cushions at the auto supply store. I haven't been able to turn it into a great seat, but at least I got the lumps down.

timdac11 · August 2009

I first brought it to an upholstery shop which led them to remove the seat and took out the lumbar plates which didn't alleviate the problem. After the repair the back panel of the seat fell off, which allowed me to further investigate by getting my hand up there(between the foam and the leather). BTW...you don't need to have the seat removed from car to acess the removal of the lumbar support plates as I did. The plate removal alleviated the uncomfortable lumbar hump but not the other discomfort that I had. Further aggrevation led me to inspect behind the back panel of the seat where I discoverd that at every seam in the leather, there is a plastic covered metal wire that is the width of the seam (used to attach the foam to the leather). With a pair of plyers, one can strip the plastic covered wire away from the leather without damaging the seam. The only downfall is that the leather won't fit as snug against the foam backing(nothing that noticable). I removed two horizontal and two vertical plastic covered reinforcement wires (each 12-18" in length) which immediately relieved the issue. The pain I had was from the wires that are located between the leather and the FRONT of the foam padding (closer to the front of the seat). I did have to order the plastic snaps that got damaged (this is to re-snap the back plate back to the seat). This was the answer to ALL my discomfort in the seat. Hope this helps!!

dbdc · August 2009

I did the same as brentc25. I went to an upholster's too, and they took out my lumbar, and said they didn't see any other issues, but said it sure felt different without the lumbar. Different, yes, better, no. So I drove it another month - almost went back to the upholsterer and got the lumber put back in. Finally when I could stand it no longer, I traded it in for a different (non-Honda) vehicle, at the loss of $4000.

This is simply wrong. Honda should be monitoring these forums. This problem has existed for almost 2 years, since the first 2008's came out. No more Honda's for me...ever.

Any attorneys out there?

rr9 · August 2009

Hi timdac11,
this is awesome that you are able to resolve the issue. i just bought the car a ew days ago and feel terrble pain everyday. would you please be kind enough to post pictures or send more description of how to remove these wires from seats.
thanks much in advance

thegraduate · August 2009

What would you sue for, you bought a product you find uncomfortable? Not trying to be a wise guy, but how exactly would that lawsuit go ?

dbdc · August 2009

I"m not a lawyer. But I'll just say that "uncomfortable" is something of an understatement for myself, and I think maybe many other recent Honda purchasers, based on who I've spoken to and what I've seen in this and other forums.

I think we're talking about actual lasting, if not permanent injury, especially if you can't afford to sell the car, and drive it with the seat defect for a long period of time.

For starters, could we say that Honda is not meeting the terms of its warranty, by not remedying something in their product that is injuring purchasers? But again, I would defer to any lawyers among our learned readers.

elroy5 · August 2009

The problem is, the defense attorney could, I'm sure, find just as many owners who would testify that they love the seats, and they are very comfortable.

thegraduate · August 2009

For starters, could we say that Honda is not meeting the terms of its warranty, by not remedying something in their product that is injuring purchasers?

Just playing devil's advocate with ya here; I've driven a 2008 Accord and ddin't notice a problem, but it was only a ten minute for-fun test drive. EX, cloth, 4-cylinder.

People every day I'm sure buy office furniture which isn't conducive to proper spinal health, but you don't hear about anybody suing over that. I realize that this would be a $25,000 office chair, but still - I really think this is just going to be a tough case for a lawyer to even take, much less win. I wish you the best, and certainly hope your pain in the backside (literal and figurative alike) goes away.

Thanks for replying,

TheGrad

2006 Accord EX I4 Sedan

dbdc · August 2009

If Honda only satisfied 1/2 of its purchasers in general, it wouldn't still be in business!

dansdad · October 2009

My wife just bought a 2009 accord and I will tell you the seats are terrible. Hard as a rock!! This is an EX-L, looks good, handles well on all roads, if you can stand the seats. Dont believe me just go to Edmunds and check it out. Wish I had, but she loves it and its her car so.... I'll buy my own and not share hers. Just my 2 cents.

viet · October 2009

Dansdad,

I got the Accord '08 EX-L V6 and felt terrible with the "hard rock" driver seat for the first 2 or 3 days. Now, I got used to it and the seat leather became softer. I feel comfortable now. I guess Honda built them to last.

dansdad · October 2009

I am hoping it will work in but its not really on the sides but mainly where the top seat meets the bottom. It's like there is no padding at all. Also I read the '08 got great reviews on Consumer Reports. Maybe they did something in '09. Dave

viet · October 2009

Seat used to hurt my "butts" and back for the first couple of days. Now, it's good. Car handling is tight and it's much better than the older Accords V6 EX-L I have in term of power and almost other aspects. As a friendly reminder to you, tires for this model will be a bit expensive. I checked them out yesterday.

accordguy0325 · October 2009

I think the seats do take some getting used to as they aren't sofa-like as in the Camry... I for one would rather have a slightly less comfortable seat then a bad car such as nearly all Chrysler products (excluding some Jeep models). Just my two cents.

dansdad · October 2009

I know...and I agree the Accord is an excellent car its just I'm amazed Honda didn't do a better job on comfort for '09. I have a '97 Accord myself with 235,000 miles and it's much more comfortable. Guess I just expected better.

accordguy0325 · October 2009

My mom has an 08 LXP sedan, and uses a small back pillow sometimes... maybe something such as this would be of help...

I find the seats in my 09 EXL-V6 coupe seem more comfortable than those in her sedan, did you try out the cloth seats as well ?

dansdad · October 2009

No my wife wanted leather. I'm for cloth but like I say it's her car, and thats what she wanted.

temj12 · February 2010

I have an 05 Accord EX-L coupe. I can't get comfortable in the seat either. When I have traveled extensively, I have to sit forward without my back touching; it is a very uncomfortable position. I bought a lower back pad at Staples and I put it where the lumbar is. That is the only way I have any comfort. Honda does not pad their seats enough and I don't know why they could not design a comfortable seat. This seems elementary. Obviously since you have an '08, nothing has changed.

mbusuttil · February 2010

Accord AIR BAGS IN TROUBLEHi,today i saw in local news that some Hondas include Accords are to be tested for the driver's side Airbags.Here is the link for those interested.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Honda-adds-437000-cars-to-apf-2428558261.html?x=0

blue_boy · February 2010

It's just a case of newspapers/news agencies making news again.

elroy5 · February 2010

I find it very interesting, that the government now owns GM, and suddenly the government is issuing recalls on Honda and Toyota like mad :surprise: . Strange coincidence, isn't it?

icyou812 · February 2010

Didn't Honda notify the govt. that it was issuing a recall, not the other way around? Much better than how Toyota went about it. I assume they didn't want to be in the same boat as them.

blue_boy · February 2010

The Honda recall was initiated last October. Now the newspapers/news is jumping all over it.

jac0bsdad · February 2010

I test drove a new Accord for about 20 minutes last fall and found the seats to be very, very firm... Much more so than my 2001 Accord... I decided to keep my 01' model instead of spending the money with all of the economic problems. IMO, this current generation of Accord seats are somewhat uncomfortable but that is only based on a short test drive...

mbusuttil · February 2010

Hi,i agree a little with you when i tested the new Accord 09 for a drive ,but when i bought this nowadays i see difference in drving,i don't want to get out of this car for many reasons such as the a bigger car than 01 and the comfort of it ,the styling of the insight is like an aero cabin....and so on .don't make comparison to the new one because it has much more features than the older ones and in the meantime for the seats are a little firm because are the sports seats ,i have the ES GT 09 car model of Japan.

jac0bsdad · February 2010

I agree, this current generation of the Accord is leaps and bounds ahead of the one I currently own... It is a much better vehicle, except I prefer the seats in my 01' model... Except for that one thing the current generation Accord is a superb choice.. I mainly decided not to purchase because I was not prepared to go back into debt but clearly that is different from concerns with the comfort of the seats, etc..

viet · February 2010

The '08 seat was built to last. One will get used to and love it. '08 Accord is solid like a "tank". It looks big but it is handled easily like a mid-size car. Try to turn the wheel sharply and one will see it sticks to the road.

rcummelin · February 2010

Everyone's rear end is different, and a person's comfort in/on any given seat is just as different. This isn't much different than bicycle seats. There must be at least 50 different manufacturers of bicycle seats, with each manufacturer offering about 10-20 different seats.

The key is finding a seat that fits your posterior and will give you comfort on a long trip - 2 wheels or 4.

Honda's seats have been firm for as long as I can remember. Some of them get a little softer over the years, others do not. Personally, I can't complain about the seats in our new Accord EX-L. They fit my wife and me just fine.

The only real advice I can offer is the same as I offer to cyclists: Read all the data & reviews on the web. Find several seats that you feel might suit you. Try these seats on a long ride (or a very long test drive.) Buy the seat that feels the best. Rent any car you are thinking of buying and drive it on a LOOOONG highway drive. If it is uncomfortable, don't buy that seat - or car.

Granted, buying a bike seat is a lot different than buying an entire car, but if posterior comfort is high on your priority list, and now you find that your Honda's seats are uncomfortable, you made a mistake buying the Honda. You could still buy some aftermarket seats to replace the OEM seats, but again, they might be too firm for your sensitive rear end too.

Caveat emptor for sure!!!

chan432000 · February 2010

i bought my 2010 honda ex 2 weeks ago and wow is the drivers seat like a rock. i'm a big guy and the racing seat sides are terrible .but otther than that the car i awesome and i'm very happy

viet · March 2010

My '08 Accord V6 EX-L seat was also like a rock when I first sat on it. But after a few days, I got used to it. And now no more problem and I feel very much comfortable. The Accord leather seat is built to last long, I guess.

mikebike125 · April 2010

So, did you remove the plate but then replace the thicker lower black bar/wire that goes across and once held the plate in place? If that bar/wire is removed, the active head restraint wont work. Is that what gave your back relief? I just need to know if that is in there or if you removed it.

silberma · August 2010

I had the exact same seat problem described by many Honda owners and for a few days In was shopping for another car until common sense prevailed. I analyzed the situation and concluded the the front of the seat is tilted too high up in comparison to the rear of the seat. This pushed against the bottom of the lower thighs and pushed your back against the back of the seat creating several pressure points. The bright engineers at Honda did not have the sense to make the power seat adjust the tilt of the seat down enough. The solution is simple. Shims under the back of the seat frame to raise the back of the seat. Here is how to do it.

1. Move the seat all the way forward.

2. Pop the rear of the plastic seat rail cover with a screw driver.

3. Remove the 2 rear holdown bolts.

4. Shim the back of the seat with 9 washers

5. insert a pen through the seat frame through the washers and into the nut in the car floor to line up the washers.

6. Insert new longer high strength bolts M10 X 1.25 X 40. Gently start the bolt threading by hand because if you cross the threads you will have a major issue.

7. Tighten bolts use a lock washer underneath the bolt head

8. Snap the plastic cover back in place

8. Enjoy the car

PS I do not believe that Honda will never make or authorize this fix because of safety liability issues, but this is the only way I can live with this car.

mikebike125 · August 2010

My issue was with the lower back area and the pain associated with that. I was very close to selling this car after owning it for only a few months. The main problem is that the lumbar area pushes out way too far compared to the upper area of the seat. This basically feels like someone is sticking their foot through tha back of the seat and keeping constant pressure on your lower back. I think I have found a minor compromise that seems to have minimized the problem.

I pulled off the back of the seat and did a few things. Each one of these things makes a pretty good difference but it's all I could do within reason. The first thing I did was to remove the black back plate that actuates the active head restraint and remove the white lumbar adjustment plate (removing this makes the drivers seat just like the passenger seat, no adjustable lumbar support). This is the plate that moves when you make the lumbar support more pronounced (bigger foot kicking you in the back). I then put the whole setup back in the seat (minus the white lumbar adjuster) so that the active head restraint is still functioning properly. That did a little. I then put some additional padding in the upper third of the seat to push it out a little so that it minimizes the amount that the lower third sticks out (I kind of averaged it out). I also put some more padding on the left and right sides of the back of the seats, maybe 3" wide by about 14" tall.

This last thing takes a little time but it worked out well and for those of you who are adventurous this also makes a pretty good difference. There is a thick black bent wire that makes the back plate pull on the active head restraint. I know this is a safety feature and wanted to make sure it stayed working. I took a look at it and it is basically shaped like a "U" with the two vertical lines in the u going on either side of your back with the black plate in the center. (The "U" is laying flat with your back in the center) I looked at it and realized that if could make the "U" a little deeper, the plate would be set back a little farther and take some more pressure off of my back. I went and found a piece of wire at Lowes (vertical piece off of a heavy duty tomato cage, really) and bent it in the same shape as the stock Honda part with the "U" just a little deeper. After some trial and error, I got it to fit and function. NOTE: if you make it too deep, your back will feel GREAT but the seat back will not fit back on (darn!!!). If the back of the seat would fit on, this would be all you need to do because this is the root of the whole problem.

Another solution and and it's result is to completely remove the black plate and wire. This feels much better, but the seat is a little too deep in the middle from lack of support and the active heat restraint is non functional. Auto manufacturers just started putting this active head restraint in cars so ...... Older cars don't have it.... It's your choice whether to remove it or not. I think if it was completely removed and you added a sheet of flat padding before putting the seat back on you might have a winner. I love the car, I just hate the seat!

temj12 · August 2010

I have an '05 Accord EX-L. I have the same problem so the problem exists in the previous model Accord. I do not use the lumbar because, as you said, it is like a foot pushing you in the back. I found a small cushion at Staples that can be used to support the lower back in an office chair. This works well and makes the seat comfortable. I do not know why Honda can't design a comfortable seat. As you said, the passenger seat is comfortable.

mrbill1957 · August 2010

The 08+ uses an "Active Head Restraint" basically the lumbar area when pushed in actually tilts the head restraint forward. This design is completely different then pre 08 models.

What your 05 has is conventional lever actuated lumbar support.

I personally like the seats and lumbar support in my 04 EX-L. I have taken 3 trips traveling 3000+ in each trip and I felt great after each day.

Mrbill

ashahdds · September 2010

Does Anyone know if the 2011 seats are any better than the 2008-2010. I find the lumbar support to be excessives and pinches the nerve in my back, sending a tingling down my legs.

mikebike125 · September 2010

Good question, I bet they are the same. I was originally so upset with these seats that I went into the Toyota dealer and sat in a 2010 Camry only to find out that the Toyota also has the same problem. I bet this wonderful way to actuate the active head restraint will end up being like the stupid automatic seat belt that they used to have in all the cars back in 1991. Stupid idea and they ended up removing it.

mrbill1957 · September 2010

It's my understanding that Active Head Restraints are mandatory starting in the end of 2011.

If you do some online searching, you will find complaints with all manufacturers that use them. The suggestion was to rent the vehicle your interested in and drive it for a weekend. Hopefully the systems will improve over the next few years, just like seat belts. I still remember the seat belts that were in two pieces, one went across your lab, and the second one had to be lowered from clips which held the belt along the roof line just above the window. Once you buckled them, you couldn't reach knobs on the dash since the belt didn't expand/retract as they do now.

Mrbill

will2011 · October 2010

I just purchased a 2011 Accord SE and am experiencing the same problem. Did you ever post the YouTube video, if so how do I find it?

jaimito1 · February 2011

you need to call 1-800-999-1009 so they can log the issue, the more people that call the more likely someone will come up with a solution, from Honda, that is, I have heard that they are already working on a technical bulletin so you may want to ask at the dealership in a month or two.

Honda Accord Seats 2008+

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